Copenhagen Trilogy (The Copenhagen Trilogy)

Written so wellWith a straight forward manner. Clever writing with sad humor and deep sharing of feelings. Make you ponder on life.

I had never read a poem by Tove Ditlevsen until I read her memoir. My understanding from her personal history was that she raised herself from an impoverished life to become a poet of some reckoning in Denmark. I find her prose, or the translation thereof, to be clear and unflinching. The first two volumes tell the story of a plucky heroine on the way to a better life.The third volume takes a darker turn. The timeline feels more compressed as Ditlevsen cycles through husbands, pursues multiple abortions, and ultimately becomes addicted to opiates. The often jarring transitions between these anecdotes come in the same clear prose whether beautiful or horrible in their design. In the end, the memoir just sort of ends, with no real lesson learned or any hope for the author. Perhaps another volume was planned, but it is no surprise after reading the final few pages that the author ultimately died from a sleeping pill overdose. In the end, though off the page, a bright talent is lost to addiction.

My ancestors all emigrated from Denmark in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They lived in rural areas, on farms and the like, but I imagine they experienced the sort of bleak circumstances that Ditlevsen describes in the first third if the book.I also have experienced addiction secondhand, so I found the last third very compelling. The way that addiction turns beautiful human beings into desperate conniving beasts is so unbearably sad. We are fortunate to have the author's courageous blunt description of her struggles. I am sad to learn that she ultimately succumbed to the disease, but glad she was able to express her creativity along the way. I look forward to reading some of her works of fiction.

I love this book! I haven't been able to finish it yet because of a temporary eye problem, but I will devour the last third of it when I can. What I like about it is that it not only tells the story of the individual, but it incorporated so many elements of the country(in this case Denmark) and cities in which she lived. I am a writer, and learning about her journey from a child to published author was interesting. In some ways our journeys were alike, in others different.

These books are a treasure. Be ready for a deep immersion into the chaotic life of a young poet, and later an ambivalent mother, aching to find a place for herself and her art in an unforgiving world. Tove’s life is rife with roadblocks, and what could have been crippling trauma. She never winces at her own ruthlessness; she is a survivor, a refugee from her own people, unafraid to use others to springboard her gift and find a safe-enough home for herself.Throughout this trilogy, we witness her relentless struggle to be seen, to find a place for her gift as she navigates life without a safety net. Her art is always front and center. Tove’s pursuit of love, and artistic validation compete relentlessly with her self-destructive urges, and an eventually with her catastrophic struggle with addiction.From the first page to the last, Tove draws us in, never pulling for sympathy or portraying anything less than the brutal truth.

I have controversial feelings about rating this book. On the one hand, I love the style and the way Tove writes. She is very sharp, always uses the right words and not one more. Her descriptions are so sharp that I felt I had the person in front of me. She does not shy away from problems and negative situations and her honesty is outstanding. On the other hand, I felt that she was an obnoxious person. She had very clear in her mind that she wanted to be a writer and was willing to do whatever it took to achieve it, even using other people as their stepping stone. A very selfish woman who only thought of herself, she had no empathy and cared nothing about the feelings of others. If something got in her way, she had no problem getting rid of it. I am glad I have never met a person like her. If it had not been an autobiography, maybe I would have enjoyed it better.

There is an undisciplined or maybe an inadequate-editing feel. The author is so open and honest about all the shameful things that were done to her in childhood and then throughout her life. When a child is abused as this author was, it nearly always results in a variety of troubles that manifest for extended periods of their life.It can be disheartening to read of all the ways she sabotages her relationships and her general personal wellbeing. But the narrative eventually does become quite encouraging as the story goes on...so don't give up too soon.If you like memoirs, you may love this one. But, I cannot tell a lie-- I read it all-- it was good enough for that-- but I just can't quite love it.

so lovely to catch a glimpse of life for this author

De forma simples a autora transita entre sua infância e juventude até chegar em sua vida adulta, repleta de relacionamentos fracassados, sucesso como escritora e vicio em medicamentos. A passagem de tempo é sutil e não há grandes reviravoltas, porém é uma leitura agradável, apesar de ser uma história triste.

The media could not be loaded. This book is a joy to hold and read. The quality of the paper, the crisp, easy-to-read font, and the stunning cover design all reflect the care and craftsmanship of the publisher. Every detail—from the binding to the layout—makes it an absolute pleasure to experience, both in content and in form.

This is a gem of a book. Loved it, still thinking about it weeks after. A true talent..

Sehr erstaunlich wie Tove Ditlevsen ihr eigens Leben beschreibt. Angefangen bei ihrer Kindheit, wo sie ob ihrer Liebe zu Gedichten verhöhnt wird, weiter zu ihrer Jugend wo sie sich durch langweilige Jobs quält bis hin zu ihren Männergeschichten und Abhängigkeiten zu Medikamenten und Pillen.Wahnsinnig intensiv und fesselnd geschrieben!

The media could not be loaded. Non ho ancora letto il libro, ma mi è appena arrivato in condizioni non ottimali - allego foto.C’è chiaramente una piega in alto a sinistra con una macchia di inchiostro e sul retro è stata staccata un’etichetta. In più, ci sono diverse macchie sulla copertina